Safety pole clip



J. W. LOWES 5 SAFETY POLE GLI??` Filed June l, 1939 Nov. 5, 1.940.

Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED sTATEsj SAFETY POLE CLIP Jacob Wilson Lowes, Quill Lake, Saskatchewan,

Canada Application June 1, 1939, serial 276,831

v In Canada October 15, 1938 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in safety clips to be attached upon the end of a wagon pole, and a principal object of my invention is to provide a device of the character here- 5 within described which will enable the neck yoke of a team of horses to be maintained near and above the forward extremity of the wagon pole, thus preventing the possibility of the driving reins becoming caught thereunder.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the wagon pole is secured positively to the neck yoke of a team of horses, whereby the possibility of accidents occurring due to accidental dropping of said pole, is prevented.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which will serve to secure the horses neck yoke positively to the forward extremity of the pole but which may be quickly and easily released therefrom.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is of sturdy, simplified structure,

which is economical to manufacture and which will not readily become out of order.

With the above more important objects in view and such other minor objects as may appear as the specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

The iigure is a side elevational and partial sectional view of my invention in situ upon a wagon pole.

My invention consists essentially of a partially hollow sheath-like body or casting I, designed to fit snugly over the forward end of a wagon pole 2. The rearward portion of the body is extended integrally into a pair of upper and lower reinforcing arms 3, the ends of which are provided with a pair of drill holes 4 in alignment with a drill hole 5 in the pole 2, through which extends the bolt 5. The body is further secured upon the wagon 4pole by means of the bolt 'I passing through these members, the upper end of said bolt being curved forwardly and downwardly to be received in a drilled recess 8 upon the upper surface of the body.

Formed in the forward extremity of the body I, is a vertically disposed recess 9 of the conguration illustrated, opening forwardly and upwardly and bounded by the portion I' of the body and the floor I0 of said recess. A laterally extending ring receiving slot II is formed across the lower forward extremity of the body I, passing through the recess 9 at a point just above the floor I0. A latch I2, of the configuration clearly illustrated, is pivotally mounted o in the recess 9 upon a pin I3 extending laterally between the side walls of said recess, and is provided with a notch I4 upon the perimeter thereof which is engageable with the lock strap I5 whereby the nger I6 bounding the slot II', formed 10 therein, may be maintained across the mouth of the slot I I.

The lock strap I5 comprises a strip of metal worked into the configuration illustrated, and

movably secured upon the upper surface of the l5,

body by means of the upper staple like portion of the bolt I passing through the drill holes I'I,

I8 and the slot I9 formed therein. Oneend of the strip I5 is formed into a loop 20 to serve as a bearing surface against the notch I4 and is 20 secured to the middle portion of the lock strap by the rivet 2|, the forward end of the strip extending cver the loop 25 and for a short distance over the upper surface of the latch I 2.

With my invention secured upon the end of a 25 wagon pole, the ring suspended from the horses neck yoke is inserted in the slot Il, the latch I2 turned clockwise until the linger I6 closes thereover, and the lock strap I5 dropped into position such that the end of the loop 2l! bears 30 against the notch I4 and prevents the latch from turning back and releasing the yoke ring. To release the yoke ring, it is only necessary to lift the forward end of the lock strap, whereupon the latch may be turned back and the ring re- 35 leased. If it is desired,` a line 22 ymay be attached to the loop 20, of the lock strap, and extended rearwardly to the drivers seat ofy the Wagon, such that in an emergency in which the driver sees t to release the main trace and to 40 disconnect the horses completely from the wagon,

a tug upon said line will serve to unlock the latch I2 and release the horses neck yoke.

In this manner I have provided a simple, sturdy and easily attachable wagon pole clip which en- 45 ables the neck yoke of a team of horses to be maintained near the end of the pole, thus Aprecluding the possibility of the reins becoming caught thereunder, vand further, in providing a positive connection between said neck yoke and 50 said pole, precludes the possibility of the latter dropping while the wagon is in motion, as is a common cause of accidents with the present type of harness. n

Since various modifications may be made in 55 the above invention, and many apparently Widely different embodiments of same, made within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specilication shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense and I desire only such limitations placed thereon as are specically expressed in the accompanying claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

An attachment to the free end of horse drawn Wagon poles for preventing the catching of the lines thereunder, comprising in combination, a ferrule encasing said free end, means for securing said ferrule to said pole, a lock housing in the forward end of said ferrule, said latch housing comprising a deep, vertical, open ended recess having an arcuate inner wall, a forwardly projecting underjaw below said recess, a rotary lock within said recess having a downwardly projecting nose capable of contacting said underjaw and when contacting said underjaw presenting a circular transverse aperture to receive a neck yoke ring, a horizontal and forwardly extending spring latch upon the upper side of said ferrule secured to the rear of said rotary lock, an upwardly projecting abutment having a rearwardly directed, Vertical bearing surface upon the upper portion of said rotary lock, the forward end of said spring latch being contiguous with said bearing face when the attachment is in locked position and means for lifting the forward end of said spring latch against the spring tension thereof clear of said bearing surface to permit rotation of said lock and the disengagement of a ring held within said circular aperture.

JACOB WILSON LOWES. 

